Top tips to improve your ankle mobility
Ankle stiffness? Whilst this may not seem like a major problem, it can lead to pain and problems with your foot, ankle and leg if it is not addressed. Here we’ll discuss how to test yourself for stiff ankles and what you can do about them.
When ankles become stiff, it is usually in the direction of dorsiflexion. This is movement where the top of the foot moves upwards towards the shin (the opposite of pointing your toes). This is a vital movement of the ankle for effective walking.
Stand with your feet together and then take a step forwards with one leg. Stop. You should notice that the ankle of your back leg is in a dorsiflexed position, as your lower leg has moved forwards over your foot.
Before the heel of your back leg leaves the floor to push off, the ankle needs a full range of dorsiflexion. If there are problems with this, the body will compensate.
This may mean that your hip has to move earlier than it should, which can contribute towards overuse and tightness in muscles at the front of the hip (hip flexors). Another compensation is foot rolling (putting more weight over the inner aspect of your foot) which can contribute to problems with your big toe (such as bunions).
You need good ankle dorsiflexion movement for squats. If you have ankle stiffness and you can’t hinge properly you may find that you feel like you are falling backwards during a squat, and will struggle to lift your chest up. This can lead to increased strain through your hips and knees.
How do I know if I have stiff ankles?
Knee to wall test
Stand facing a wall. It’s best if you can find one without a skirting board so that your results are accurate. Using a closed door can work too!
Put a ruler along the floor from the wall/door towards you, so that you can measure your results.
Place your toes of one leg against the wall and then bend your knee to see if your knee can touch the wall.
Keep your heel down and bend your knee straight forwards to see if it touches the wall. Make sure your knee doesn’t cave in and it is pointing over your toes.
If your knee can touch the wall, you have passed the test at this level!
Then move your foot 1 cm away from the wall, and try to touch your knee to the wall again.
Keep moving away with your foot until you reach a point where you are unable to touch your knee to the wall or your heel is about to lift.
Record the maximum distance from the wall to your big toe where you can achieve knee to wall wiithout your heel lifting.
This is your ankle dorsiflexion range of movement.
What is normal?
Most people should be able to complete the knee to wall test with their foot 5″ away from a wall when healthy. BUT we are all made differently and some people are genetically built with stiffer ankles. The important thing is to compare both legs to see if you have one that is tighter than the other.
Those that have had ankle injuries such as sprains may have limited movement due to scar tissue. Another reason for reduced movement may be tightness in the muscles at the back of your lower leg (calves).
Exercises to improve ankle mobility
Which exercises to complete to improve ankle mobility depends on what is causing it in the first place.
If your ankle movement is reduced due to muscle tightness, you will need to complete a stretching programme for a few weeks.
Calf stretches can be very helpful in reducing tightness. Here we look at 2 different types: bent and straight knee.
Calf stretches
Standing with your legs apart and the leg you want to stretch behind you.
Straight knee: Keep your back leg straight and both heels on the ground. Make sure both feet are pointing forwards. Slowly bend the front knee, until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles of the back leg.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times
Bent knee: This time, complete the above but slowly bend your back leg at the same time as bending your front knee. This targets a different, deeper muscle in your lower leg called your soleus.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Seated ankle mobility drill
This one is great for all those working from home on office chairs with wheels!
Sit towards the edge of the chair. Keep your feet on the ground and push the chair away from your feet. Keep your heels flat on the floor. Then slowly roll the chair forwards so that your feet end up further underneath you and you flex your ankle. You may feel tightness across the front or back of your ankles.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Ankle mobility with bands
For this, you will need a resistance band. A lot of people use the larger bands designed to assist with pull-ups, but we are using the smaller bands for this exercise.
If you don’t already have some, you can get a great set from Gritin Resistance Bands - see the link to buy from Amazon. This is a set of 5 bands with varying resistances, which is great as you can work your way up. They can be used for many other exercises for strengthening and conditioning so are a great investment for your physical health and come highly recommended by us.
*This is the equipment that we use and recommend fully. You won’t pay a penny more, but First Line Physio will earn a small commission if you purchase the equipment following this link. This contributes to the running costs of the blog.*
Loop the band around a table leg.
Then stand, facing away from the table, with the band around the lower half of your ankle. Slowly bend your front knee and feel the tension increase in the band at the front of your ankle.
Repeat 10 times.
Foam rollers
Foam rollers have been shown to improve muscle flexibility and movement. It helps to make the soft tissue around the muscle, known as “fascia” more flexible and can break down scar tissue and adhesions. You can use these on the calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to improve ankle mobility.
If you don’t already have one, we recommend the Edge Sports 2 in 1 Foam Roller and ball - see the link to buy from Amazon. This is a great set as it comes with one hollow design rumble roller, which has been found most effective in releasing fascia. The softer smooth foam roller can be great to follow your session, or for more tender areas. The hard ball can also be used for specific trigger points.
*This is the equipment that we use and recommend fully. You won’t pay a penny more, but First Line Physio will earn a small commission if you purchase the equipment following this link. This contributes to the running costs of the blog.*
Sit on the floor and put the foam roller underneath your calf muscle. Use your hands to lift your bottom up and shift your weight forwards and backwards over the foam roller so it rolls up the length of your calf. You can turn your body side to side slightly to target the inner and outer aspect of your calf muscle as you roll.
Studies have shown good results from using the foam roller for 2 x 1 minute sessions, with a 30 second rest in between. If you find a tender spot or “trigger point” pause and hold the pressure over this area for around 30 seconds to allow it to release. You can add movements of your ankle as you roll your calf muscle. Try pulling your ankle up into dorsiflexion or rotate your ankle in circles.
Try all of these exercises, or pick a selection that you find work for you. Give yourself a month of doing the exercises 3 times a week. Then you can retest your knee to wall test to see if you have made any improvements!
If your movement hasn’t improved then it’s recommended to see a physiotherapist, as they may be able to offer you manual (“hands on”) techniques to get your ankle moving, break down any scar tissue and work through any other issues with your ankle.
This is absolutely not written to substitute medical advice and it is always important to see a qualified health care professional for a formal diagnosis. If the exercise cause pain during or after completion, discontinue and consult a physiotherapist. Remember, there are lots of reasons for ankle mobility and without seeing a physiotherapist, you won’t be sure what the reason is for you.
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